Investigating Changes in Ozone Formation Chemistry during Summertime Pollution Events over the Northeastern United States

Abstract

Understanding the local-scale spatial and temporal variability of ozone formation is crucial for effective mitigation. We combine tropospheric vertical column densities (VCD_Trop) of formaldehyde (HCHO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), referred to as HCHO-VCD_Trop and NO₂-VCD_Trop, retrieved from airborne remote sensing and the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) with ground-based measurements to investigate changes in ozone precursors and the inferred chemical production regime on high-ozone days in May-August 2018 over two Northeast urban domains. Over New York City (NYC) and Baltimore/Washington D.C. (BAL/DC), HCHO-VCD_Trop increases across the domain, but higher NO₂-VCD_Trop occurs mainly in urban centers on ozone exceedance days (when maximum daily 8 h average (MDA8) ozone exceeds 70 ppb at any monitor in the region). The ratio of HCHO-VCD_Trop to NO₂-VCD_Trop, proposed as an indicator of the sensitivity of local surface ozone production rates to its precursors, generally increases on ozone exceedance days, implying a transition toward a more NO<i>_x</i>-sensitive ozone production regime that should lead to higher efficacy of NO<i>_x</i> controls on the highest ozone days in NYC and BAL/DC. Warmer temperatures and enhanced influence from emissions in the local boundary layer on the high-ozone days are accompanied by slower wind speeds in BAL/DC but stronger, southwesterly winds in NYC.